On October 5th, the new World of Disney store in Manhattan opened its doors to the public. Make no mistake; this is no ordinary Disney Store. Covering three floors of selling space, the massive World of Disney offers a whole new shopping experience for New Yorkers and tourists.
The World of Disney glows in the evening light. Located on 5th Avenue,
the new store is just south of Central Park.
Mickey, Minnie and Pluto welcome guests above the entrance to World of
Disney. Note the artists' tools highlights.
A number of unique items are available at the store, including green Statue
of Liberty crowns that also come with Mickey ears.
Logoed clothing covers a range of styles and colors. Unfortunately, the
only clothing for adults is the NYC logo. The specialty items take up
only a third of the ground floor, with the rest of the ground floor containing
children's clothing, candy, and The Incredibles merchandise.
On the second floor, a stylized Old Hag (from Snow White) serves
as the guardian of the elevator.
The merchandise available for purchase in the World of Disney store in
New York may seem familiar to those who have visited Walt Disney World;
they were llifted directly from the World of Disney store in Florida.
Donald Duck overlooks the second floor. Look carefully at the right top
corner near Donald for some artist's models. These fixtures are scattered
throughout the store, enhancing the décor.
Plush, clothing, photo albums, and much more all bear the Walt Disney
World logo.
The “Big Fig” big figurines also make an appearance, even offering
Figment from Epcot.
Upstairs on the third floor are kiosks for the resorts and the Disney
Cruise Line.
The Media Zone showcases Disney videos and video games. The main attraction, however, is Cinderella's Princess Court. The $80 price buys your princess (ages 5-10 only) a 60-minute experience with a Disney storyteller, who teaches her to be a princess. Parents and brothers are exiled to the store, until the final few minutes when they are invited back in to see the girls crowned as Disney princesses. They receive a special crown, lace gloves, a photo with Cinderella (who only appears at the end), and 10 Disney Dollars.
Those who have participated say that the experience was fantastic, though the price a bit steep. Several were concerned that there was nothing comparable for the boy, or even older girls.
All in all, the store is simply a transplanted theme park store. This isn't surprising, since the theme park merchandise team is operating the store. Some of the merchandise feels seriously out of place, though the selection is much better than most at Disney stores.
